August 18, 2006

DuPont unit to expand two US seed-research facilities

DuPont & Co announced plans to expand two of its North American seed research facilities to develop new products.

The Wilmington, Del., chemical company said a 12,000-square-foot expansion of its Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc unit's greenhouse in Johnston, Iowa, would be ready in January.

The new space would be used for testing new traits in corn plants that generates critical performance data more quickly, the company said.

DuPont also said Pioneer would build a 16,000-square-foot expansion at its Princeton, Indiana, research centre that would allow increased field screening capabilities for corn.